037: Betrayed

Feeling groggy, Iris blinked her eyes open. A sharp pain in her abdomen jolted her senses awake. She winced as the tight bandage constricted her swollen stomach, each breath pulling at the wound beneath. The throbbing pain was a cruel reminder of what she had sacrificed—and for what? In the end, she had nothing to show for it. Ivan hadn't even spared her a glance, leaving her feeling like a ghost in a crowded room. It was as if she were invisible, an afterthought in everyone’s mind. No one cared for her, and it was all Autumn's fault.

As her vision cleared, the cool sterility of the hospital ward came into focus. The antiseptic smell invaded her nostrils, and she wondered briefly if they had brought her to Derek’s hospital. The effort to keep her eyes open left her feeling drained, as if the mere act of seeing sapped what little strength she had left. Her gaze flitted around the room until it landed on Ivan, sitting slumped in the chair beside her bed. Tears welled up and spilled down